More Than A Magazine, A Movement
In a sign-on letter by prominent leaders and individuals worldwide, friends and supporters of Afghanistan urge NATO and the European Union to continue their support of Afghanistan.
The endorsors remind NATO and the European Union that the world has a “responsibility” to Afghanistan and that it “must come together in their support to the Afghan National Security Forces who are fighting to protect Afghan lives from terrorists as well as work towards our shared security interests.”
Now that Afghan women are aware of their rights and have been introduced to democracy and freedom, it is essential for the international community and Afghanistan’s international partners—the U.S. in particular—to stand with Afghan women after the withdrawal of troops.
With continued international support, hard-won gains by women must be preserved and advanced.
On June 25, during a state visit by the president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, President Biden pledged to continue to support Afghanistan, assuring the Afghan delegation the United States will “maintain their military, as well as economic and political support.”
Fawzia Koofi and Fatima Gailani are two of four women at the Afghan peace talks, negotiating face-to-face with the Taliban. NPR special correspondent Renee Montagne spoke with Gailani and Koofi about what could be ahead for Afghan women.
“Peace is not a lack of war; peace is to live happily with Taliban and with every other group. We don’t want a peaceful prison. We want a peaceful country that everyone is free in.”
A glimpse at what you’ll find inside the upcoming Summer issue of Ms.:
In “Don’t Filibuster Democracy,” Jennifer Weiss-Wolf explains how advancements for women’s and civil rights hinge on eliminating an anti-democratic Senate rule: the filibuster; “The Women in the Room” provides a firsthand account of the Afghan peace talks from negotiators Fawzia Koofi and Fatima Gailani; Carrie Baker breaks down why abortion rights are in a “code red”; stories of period-positive activists; and more.
Signs of the Taliban reducing violence and committing to genuine and serious peace talks are far from sight, suggests a new report by the U.N. In the report, U.N. experts say that “unprecedented” level of violence from 2020 has carried onto 2021 and is likely to increase more this year. The “continues to strengthen its military position as leverage.”
“As a member of the Hazara diaspora, safe in my home in the U.S., it is painful for me to sit front of my computer and write about yet another mass killing. Are you not listening? Why does this continue to happen? … I am calling today for the urgent attention of the United States and the international community. We must re-think the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The lives of the Hazara depend on it.”
On Saturday, three car bombs detonated in Kabul, Afghanistan, in front of the Sayed Al-Shuhada school—specifically targeting young girls. At least 85 people were killed. The escalating violence in the country has been made worse by the recent Biden administration decision to withdraw troops from the region by September 11 of this year.
This interview between Kamila Sidiqi, an Afghan serial entrepreneur, and Gayle Tzemach Lemmon was conducted just days before the Kabul weekend attack, and gives a sense of the simultaneous sense of fear, hope and dread on the ground in Afghanistan.
In an interview with CNN on Sunday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared critical of President Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. “This is what we call a wicked problem. There are consequences both foreseen and unintended of staying and of leaving,” she told CNN.
“As a Hazara and a woman from Afghanistan, I am losing hope for the future of my country. I fear the U.S. withdrawal could contribute to the loss of 20 years of progress, the collapse of the current Afghan government and the start of another civil war in Afghanistan.”
